KINGSTON , Ontario -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- For Shona Holmes , simple pleasures such as playing with her dog or walking in her plush garden are a gift .

Canadian Shona Holmes , who had a brain tumor , sought medical care in the United States .

After suffering from crushing headaches and vision problems , she was diagnosed with a brain tumor four years ago . She was told if it was n't removed , she could go blind or even die .

`` They said to me that you had a brain tumor and it was pressing on your optic chasm and that it needed to come out immediately , '' Holmes said .

Holmes is Canadian , but the `` they '' she refers to are doctors at the Mayo Clinic in the United States , where she turned after specialists in her own government-run health care system would not see her fast enough .

`` My family doctor at that time tried to get me in to see an endocrinologist and a neurologist , '' Holmes recalled . `` It was going to be four months for one specialist and six months for the other . '' Watch Holmes talk about her experience in getting treatment ''

Even with the warning from U.S. doctors in hand , Holmes said she still could n't get in to see Canadian specialists . Because the government system is the only health care option for Canadians , she says she had no choice but to have the surgery in the U.S. .

Her treatment at the Mayo Clinic in Arizona cost $ 100,000 , and she and her husband put a second mortgage on their home and borrowed from family and friends to pay for it .

When she recounts that part of her painful story , she weeps .

`` That 's the stuff that I find so tragic -- having dinner with my friends and I know how much money I owe them , '' Holmes says , tears streaming down her face .

With the health care reform debate raging in the U.S. , Republicans in Washington are seizing on Holmes ' story and other accounts from Canada to warn against government involvement in the health care system .

The Senate 's top Republican , Mitch McConnell , R-Kentucky , asserted several times on the Senate floor last month that a government-run health insurance option , which President Obama and Democrats want , could lead to a government-controlled health care system like Canada 's . Watch McConnell talk about Canada 's health care system

McConnell singled out Kingston General Hospital in Ontario as a prime example of what Americans should be fearful of : staggering delays in treatment .

CNN went to Kingston General and played a DVD for its chief of staff Dr. David Zelt of McConnell slamming the hospital .

Zelt insists McConnell 's numbers -- an average of 340 days wait time for knee replacements , 196 days for hip replacements -- are an exaggeration .

`` I find it very frustrating that someone of that stature would not really have true knowledge of the numbers he is actually quoting on things , '' Zelt told us , saying the average wait time for a knee replacement is actually 109 days , and a hip replacement is 91 days . Watch Zelt talk about Canada 's health care system ''

However , Zelt does concede that in Canada 's system , where every Canadian citizen is covered , there are limited resources , shortages and often delays .

`` In our health care system , we 're looking at what we have to do to prioritize patients -- critically ill versus purely elective surgeries , '' Zelt said .

`` I 'm not going to say we do n't have issues with timeliness for some things . It does happen . But again take the other side of the coin -- these patients have access . They 're on somebody 's waiting list if they have a problem , and I think the senator would need to look at that issue . Yes it may take time , but they will get seen . ''

McConnell 's remarks have not only ruffled feathers with Ontario 's doctors but also with government officials across the border .

Canadian Sen. Hugh Segal , whom we met up with at Kingston 's picturesque waterfront , says his `` fellow conservatives '' to the south are dead wrong about Canada 's health care system .

`` The notion that we have some bureaucrat standing next to every doctor between the patient and that doctor is a complete creation , there is no truth to that at all , '' Segal said . Watch Canadian senator challenge McConnell 's assertions ''

`` What you have is a longer life span , better outcomes and about one-third less costs . That 's what you have . ''

What Segal , Zelt and other Canadian officials underscore is that their government-run system is driven by the value of the care and that the quantity of tests and procedures do n't necessarily equal quality .

`` You can have a patient from the hospital with abdominal pain as an example , and you can run him through every high-tech equipment , CT scan , MRIs -- it 's unlimited , '' Zelt said .

`` But then you have to take a step back and look at that . What 's the cost of doing those types of investigations , and what 's the value really added to the patient ? ''

Despite Shona Holmes ' horror story about her inability to get timely treatment for a brain tumor , Canadian officials and doctors insist most life-threatening cases are treated quickly .

Toronto 's Doug Wright can attest to that . The 40-year-old father of three young boys found out last month he has cancer -- a tumor on his leg .

But he says he never had to wait more than five days to see a specialist or get a test . And from diagnosis to surgery , it will be just over a month .

`` The community medical system thought this process could not have been any better . I have not had to wait to see some of the best specialists in the country , who are renowned internationally , '' Wright said . Watch Wright talk about his treatment ''

An investment adviser , Wright has the money to go to the U.S. for his care , but says there is no need .

But Wright recognizes one reason he has gotten such a rapid response from Canadian doctors is because he has cancer .

`` The bad news is I did n't have to wait for anything , because you do n't have to wait when it 's a serious issue , '' he said .

Still , people can wait for months , or even years , for elective surgery .

Wright 's friend Rick Hession has a heart condition that could cause a stroke , but he has a three-month wait or more for an operation to help correct it .

He says he ca n't exercise the way he would like to until he gets the surgery , but he 's willing to wait . He calls it a small price to pay for free health coverage for all Canadians .

`` I 'm OK with it , and I think most people I talk to find they really are -LSB- willing to wait -RSB- , '' says Hession . Watch Hession talk about waiting for treatment ''

The reality is that despite GOP rhetoric to the contrary , no Democratic plan now on the table calls for a Canadian-like government run health care system .

But in talking to doctors , government officials and even average Canadians , they concede their system is far from perfect , but there is one statistic they are quite proud of : All Canadians have health coverage . That 's 33 million people , compared with the 47 million uninsured in the U.S.

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Woman with tumor said wait would have been too long ; she got costly U.S. treatment

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Canadian man with cancer says he was put on fast track for treatment

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Sen. Mitch McConnell says U.S.-run program would mimic Canada 's problems

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Some doctors who spoke to CNN say McConnell does n't have facts right on waits